As a gardening blogger and instagrammed I spend a lot of time taking photographs of plants. I find plants fascinating and beautiful and enjoy finding ways of photographing them looking their very best!
Here are some of my top tips for taking the very best photographs of plants:
- Natural light
Though there are fantastic lighting kits out there, the very best way to photograph a plant is in natural light. That doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Experiment with taking photos at different times of the day, in the shade and even in direct sunlight. Use the natural shadows to enhance your photo and create interesting movement in the piece.
2. Background
If the plant is the focus of your photograph, then keep the background simple. The Paper Bag Co have a fantastic instagram bag which comes with a variety of different backdrops to use, as well as some handy tips for taking the best photos. I loved experimenting with the different backdrops and finding out which colour and design bought out the best of each flower I photographed.
Paper Bag Co also stock a wide range of other paper bags
3. Focus
Keeping your main subject in focus is really important, especially when it comes to plants. Plants can be big and bushy and have lots of intricate detail, so bringing that part of the plant you really want to showcase into focus is a great plant photography trick.
4. Colours
Think about the colours in your photograph. Of course, plants can be colourful subjects. Think about the colour of the leaves, the petals and your background. A darker coloured background will make bright colours pop whilst a lighter coloured background will give a brighter and less dramatic look.
5. Editing
When I edit a photo of a plant, I am often thinking about contrast. Fiddling with the contrast will bring out the detail of the plant. I also look at saturation and exposure, two things that are important in order to bring your photograph to life. Play on shadows, don’t be afraid to go darker in order to show the plant in it’s best light.
I hope these tips will help you to create some amazing photographs of plants.
*Instagram bag was Kindly gifted to me from Paper Bag Co. It’s priced at £39.95 from Paper Bag Co.
